Polish President Confronts Judges in Overnight Court Showdown
“Tonight, there was a violation of the constitutional order of the Republic of Poland and a forcible takeover of a constitutional state body,” Karol Nawrocki said after spending several hours inside the contested court building.
Nawrocki cut short an official trip to Senegal and landed back in Warsaw late Friday as the fight over control of the tribunal intensified. He said the confrontation endangered Poland’s internal security.
“In connection with the threat to the internal security of the Republic of Poland, I am convening urgent consultations today with representatives of parliamentary forces in order to stabilize the political situation and restore constitutional order,” he said.
Overnight confrontation
Shortly after his return, Nawrocki met First President of the Supreme Court Zbigniew Kapinski, then headed to the tribunal at about 1 am. Inside, he faced Anna Korwin-Piotrowska and other judges whose standing both he and the tribunal’s former leadership dispute.
“We are judges of the Constitutional Tribunal,” Korwin-Piotrowska told him.
“You are not judges of the Constitutional Tribunal,” Nawrocki replied, according to video recorded inside the building.
The president stayed until shortly before 5 am. He subsequently urged police to withdraw from the court grounds and said he had cleared the way for Bartlomiej Sochanski, whom he regards as the tribunal’s lawful vice president, to enter.
A battle over control
The episode sharpens a dispute between Nawrocki and the government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk over who legitimately controls the tribunal.
The standoff erupted Friday when Korwin-Piotrowska announced the temporary suspension of Tribunal President Bogdan Swieczkowski and Sochanski. The tribunal’s official account on US social media platform X, run by the previous leadership, rejected the move and said its website had been unlawfully seized. It also accused those involved of committing a “coup d’état.”
Police were posted around the building but said they did not go inside.
Tusk has defended efforts to overhaul institutions shaped during eight years of Law and Justice party rule, arguing that restoring the rule of law required “decisive action.”
Justice Minister and Prosecutor General Waldemar Zurek criticized Nawrocki’s conduct inside the tribunal and urged prosecutors to examine the incident.
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